Clanless Uchiha
by Hagane1
Summary: Due to some events, Naruto's mother is an Uchiha. After her death following the childbirth, Naruto is brought to the orphanage where he spends first years of his life. After a sudden event, Naruto finds out the truth about his mother and the special eye he activated.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys!**

**I'm sorry for not updating Konoha's Alchemist yet, but since Chapter 9 ended up so bad, in my opinion, I'm trying to write Chapter 10 to be much better. It will take some time, but hey, quality over quantity.**

**In the meantime, I am starting a new story. I had this idea in my head for a while now and I even wrote down the main bits of it so I could write it later, but somehow I couldn't wait to write it. i hope you'll like this and I'll do my best to keep both stories up and running.**

**Enjoy!**

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Naruto was awoken again by a gentle nudge from the orphan matron. The sun attacked his eyes and he closed them less than a second later. Little six years old boy really hated to get up in the morning. He tried to turn around and go back to sleep, but the matron's giggling clearly prevented that.

"Wake up, Naruto-kun," she said softly. "You better get up quickly or you'll miss breakfast," she added and watched with a smile as young Naruto bolted out of bed. She could still remember the day he was brought in, surprisingly, by the Hokage himself, only a few short days before the Kyubi attacked. He was only in this world for a couple of hours, but already had no parents. His mother, whose name was Hitomi, died at childbirth. When Naruto was told of that, the first thing he did was blamed himself. It took some time to convince him that it wasn't his fault and that his mother wouldn't want him to blame himself. His father, though, was never found. When she asked the Hokage, he told her that the boy's mother was a civilian and the father was unknown. Had she looked closer, she would've seen the twinge of sadness in Hokage's eyes when he left Naruto at the orphanage.

Naruto, now six, was a happy child, as much as an orphan can be happy. He had several good friends and his calm, yet cheery attitude made him likeable among many. His hair was black and straight, with two bangs framing his face. He liked to keep it longer so he tied it in a ponytail. His eyes, on the other hand, were bright blue, not darker as someone would expect on a dark-haired child. The matron could already see that he would grow up to be a handsome man.

Naruto bolted out of the bathroom and ran out of his room, leaving a lost-in-thoughts matron behind. He rushed down the stairs toward the cafeteria and quickly got his meal. He ate slowly, with manners that were practically drilled into him from the day he could talk. He liked to sit alone while eating, dedicating himself to the meal, without any disturbances from the others. They knew about that fact and let him be.

He finished his meal and put the tray away, before going outside. It was his usual morning routine to go out for a walk after breakfast, to explore the village he lived in. He would pass by civilians without sparing them a second glance, but his gaze would linger on the many shinobi that would jump from roof to roof. His dream was to become a shinobi and he would be damned if someone or something tried to stop him.

The Ninja Academy accepted orphans easily. The orphanage would pay the entrance fee, which wasn't very large, and the young ninja in training would get monthly allowance to pay for his equipment. If they wanted, the orphans could even get their own apartments which, albeit small, were still perfectly comfortable for young children to live in. That was allowed in an effort to make orphans adjust to the life of an adult more easily.

It wasn't long before the next year of the academy would begin, only another week before he could file his request to join it. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of finally becoming a ninja some day. His musings were cut short however, when a sound of a muffled scream reached his ears. He froze for a moment, before he rushed to the source of the scream, located in a nearby park. What he saw there, shocked him.

A shinobi in his thirties, was holding an unconscious girl under his arm, while a young woman lay at his feet. Naruto didn't know if she was dead or not, but the increasing puddle of blood told him that if she wasn't, she would be dead soon. The man's mouth were turned in a sadistic grin, showing he was quite happy with the events that happened moments ago. He was wearing a standard jonin uniform with Konoha's forehead protector on his head. His face was plain, easily forgettable, had the grin disappeared. As he chuckled audibly, Naruto was shaken from his shocked state.

"Well that takes care of that," the man told to himself and prepared to leave.

"Stop!" Naruto's voice was heard across the park and the man turned around to face him. The man's shocked expression turned into a grin at the sight of a short boy. "Let her go!" Naruto shouted again.

"Or what?" the man asked. "What can a shrimp like you do to me?"

Naruto knew that he couldn't do anything. He was a child, only six years of his life have passed and the man across him was a jonin. The boy knew he was outmatched, but that didn't mean that he would just let the man go and kidnap the girl. With a newfound resolve, he glared at the man. "I will do anything I can to stop you!"

The man only grinned. Next thing Naruto saw was a fist of the man locked in his gut. He could feel the man's breath on his ear as he heard him chuckle. "You should've just walked away and you would still be alive. Now, though, I will have to kill you."

The man raised his fist and punched Naruto in the gut again, only this time sending him flying. Naruto cried out in pain when he hit the ground, making the man grin widely. The man then rushed again and for the first time in his life, Naruto felt fear.

It was an unknown emotion to him, as he was always safe in the orphanage. Nobody would hurt him there and, because of that he had nothing to be afraid of. He closed his eyes, trying to stop the tears from flowing. Was this how he would die, without ever attaining his dream, like a dog on the street? No! He won't die today, he would live and fulfill his dreams. He opened his eyes that now held determination and looked straight at the man's eyes.

What the man saw, utterly shocked him.

Instead of bright blue eyes, that Naruto had moments ago, now he had eyes with red irises, a single black tomoe in each of them. The sight of a Sharingan stopped the man in his tracks, which was the biggest mistake he could make. A sword found its way through the man's heart, killing him on the spot. That scene would be forever imprinted into Naruto's brain from seeing it with the Sharingan.

Xxxx

Uchiha Itachi was on his regular patrol around the village. Dressed in his regular Anbu uniform with a white weasel mask on his face, he jumped from roof to roof, barely seen, even with a trained eye. He was a prodigy, a true genius that came from the Uchiha clan. He was only thirteen, but he was already a high-ranking Anbu captain and one of the strongest ninja in the village.

He was about to make a dash to the left, when he heard a shout coming from a nearby park. Normally, he would dismiss it as a sound of children having fun, but the urgency in the voice made him reconsider. He could spare a minute to check out the situation and to intervene if necessary. As the old saying goes 'Better safe than sorry', Itachi was really glad that he went to check.

He arrived just in time to see the man charge at the small black-haired boy. In a burst of speed, Itachi rushed at the man, hoping that he would be able to stop him. First signs of fear crept up to Itachi as he noticed that the man was a split-second faster and that without any interference, he wouldn't succeed. That was when the man stopped, his posture tensing, like he had seen something shocking. Itachi didn't ponder on what could make the man stop and simply used the time he acquired to plunge his sword deep in the man's chest. Relaxing slightly, Itachi peered over the man's shoulder at the boy and finally saw what shocked the man.

The boy in front of him had a Sharingan. A no-named orphan he would see at the streets had a pair of eyes only available to the members of his clan. If that wasn't shocking enough, the boy had those eyes at such tender age. Even Itachi, who was hailed as one of the youngest to activate his Sharingan, unlocked it at the age of nine. To see a six year old orphan with a Sharingan made even the stoic Itachi gape slightly in shock.

As Itachi slowly removed the blade from the man's chest, blood spurted from the wound onto Naruto. His newly acquired Sharingan tracing every drop of blood that flew through the air. It only took a few seconds for the man to slide of the blade and Itachi flicked the blood of, before sheathing it.

Naruto for his part was feeling hazy. His adrenaline disappeared and now he was just a six year old boy, with fractured ribs and splitting headache. His eyes rolled back and he fell on the ground, his face up. Itachi only stared at the boy with intrigue. There weren't many things that caught young Uchiha's attention, but the boy was one of them. He had to know who are the boy's parents and why he wasn't in his clan. That would come later though, as he had more important matters to attend. Creating two shadow clones, he sent them to pick up Naruto and the small girl, before they left for the hospital. The original then sealed the body of the attacker in a scroll, before gently picking up a heavily wounded woman and running to the hospital.

Xxxx

Namikaze Minato was asleep, which wouldn't be so weird if he wasn't in his office. The Yondaime Hokage stayed up all night, doing paperwork like there's no tomorrow. How he wanted to just burn all those papers and be done with it. Sarutobi said that there is a secret to paperwork, but he still couldn't find it. If only the old man told him before.

"Hokage-sama, Uchiha Itachi is here to see you," his secretary woke him up over the intercom.

Minato raised an eyebrow. Itachi rarely came into his office under his real name. Usually, he would just appear in the corner and walk out with his mask still on. Whatever this was, it was important. Schooling his features, he pressed the button. "Send him in."

Few seconds later, the door opened and Itachi entered, wearing a blue t-shirt with an Uchiha logo on the back and black pants. He bowed his head to the Hokage, who returned the gesture, and sat down in a chair in front of the desk.

"Hokage-sama, I have some things to tell you," Minato raised an eyebrow at that, but motioned him to continue. "While I was on my patrol today, I encountered a man attacking a child. I managed to kill the man and later I have realized that he tried to kidnap someone."

"Who?" Minato asked with worry in his voice.

"Your daughter," Minato's possible outburst was stopped by Itachi's risen palm. "Please calm down, Hokage-sama. Your daughter was only knocked out and she is currently resting at the hospital. There was a woman next to her, I presume it was her escort," Minato nodded. "She was heavily wounded, but she will survive."

Minato sighed in relief. "Thank you," he said, but Itachi shook his head.

"You must not thank me," Itachi began, confusing the Hokage. "The boy I saw is to be thanked. From what I have noticed, he arrived just in time and distracted the kidnapper long enough for me to jump in. If it wasn't for him, your daughter wouldn't be here today."

"Is he in the hospital as well?" Minato asked. At Itachi's nod, he began to stand. "I better go and visit them," he said before noticing that Itachi didn't stand up. "Do you need something else?"

Itachi nodded. "I have some… questions for you, Hokage-sama, which I would like to ask in private."

Minato shuddered at the cold voice he heard. He waved his hand, dismissing the hidden Anbu in the office, and activated the privacy seal, before sitting back on his chair. He sat up straight, not showing any weakness, and motioned Itachi to continue.

Itachi nodded. "The boy, who saved your daughter, had a Sharingan."

Minato gasped. _'Naruto!'_

"I can see it in your eyes that you know who I am talking about," Itach stated calmly.

Minato sighed and nodded. "The boy's name is Naruto. His mother's name was Uchiha Hitomi, who died at child birth. After her death, I've brought the boy to the orphanage."

"But if his mother is an Uchiha, why isn't he in our clan?" Itachi asked, confused, before his eyes widened slightly. "Unless…"

"Yes, Naruto is my son," Minato said, which shocked Itachi. "I will not tell you how or why, but I will tell you that this is an S-ranked secret."

Itachi nodded grimly, knowing what that meant. If he ever uttered a single word of this conversation to anyone, he would be executed by Hokage's hand personally. Deciding to ponder about these events later, he addressed the Hokage. "I have a request, Hokage-sama."

Minat raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"

"I want to train the boy."

Minato's eyes widened slightly. "W-well, I could make you his sensei when he graduates," he said, not completely understanding Itachi's request.

Itachi shook his head lightly. "I want to train him from now on. He is an Uchiha and I feel that it is my duty to train him. In our clan, children start to train when they are young and having the Sharingan only eases the training. I also feel that I owe it to his mother who was my mother's sister, making him my cousin."

Minato could reason with that. If Naruto started to train under a skillful teacher, he would grow better. The academy did only basic stuff in Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. Most civilian children never finished the academy, since even that basic stuff was too hard to learn. They didn't have anyone outside the academy to help them and even inside, the teachers were busy and could only help so much. Minato didn't want his son to fail and having Itachi as his sensei would certainly help him immensely. He wasn't worried that Naruto was too young for training. Hell, he started to train when he was only slightly older than the boy and some even began to train sooner. The fact that Itachi and Naruto were cousins, didn't really surprise him and he felt that having some family around him, would be good for the boy. Sighing deeply, he nodded. "Very well, you may train him, but go easy on him."

Itachi nodded. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. I will talk to the boy out once he recovers," he said and at Minato's nod, left.

Minato closed his eyes in concentration, before nodding to himself. His decision was good and it would only help Naruto in the long run. Sighing, he stood up and left the office. It was time to visit his children in the hospital, even though only one of them knew that.

Xxxx

Naruto groggily opened his eyes to stare at the white ceiling. His first thought was that he was back at the orphanage and he tried to sit up, only to wince in pain. Then the memories from his last conscious moment flashed. The man, the woman, the girl and the sword. The sword that went straight through the man's heart. Somehow, he remembered that moment more than the others. He could clearly see everything, the angle of the stab, the drops of blood that spurted o him, the life leaving the man's eyes.

His eyes clenched shut and hugged himself in an effort to forget the memories, but it didn't work. No matter what, he could clearly see the same sword stabbing the same man, times and times again. Naruto felt like screaming, to try and scream the memories away, to make them stop. He reared his head back, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. When he turned around, he was looking straight at the Yondaime Hokage.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," Minato said softly. He saw how the boy was distressed only moments ago. It was his first contact with death and feeling distressed was normal. Only thing he or anyone could do was to provide support and hope for the best. "How are you feeling?"

"H-hokage-sama? What are you doing here?" Naruto asked perplexed.

Minato chuckled. "Well, you did save my daughter the other day, so I came to thank you."

"The other day?" Naruto asked, confused, before he realized. "How long have I been out?"

"Only a few days," Minato reassured him. "You still have time until academy begins."

Naruto nodded, before looking around. He spotted his clothes on the nearby chair and shot a pleading look to the Hokage. "Um, can I go?"

Minato grinned. "Get dressed and I'll take you to meet my family. My daughter has been talking about her savior for days."

Naruto nodded sheepishly, before putting on his clothes.

"Now hold my hand," Minato said and offered his hand. Naruto looked at it skeptically, before accepting it. Next thing he knew, he was sucked into something, before falling face first on the soft rug.

'_Wait, hospitals don't have rugs,' _Naruto thought as his cheek brushed against the rug. He looked up and his mouth hung open.

He was no longer in a hospital, but in an office of sorts. It wasn't anything fancy, an oak table in the middle, with a leather chair behind it. Couple of shelves with various scrolls and books and red rug on the floor. All these details soon were forgotten as Naruto remembered that he was in a hospital only a few seconds ago.

"H-how?" he asked.

Minato chuckled. "I used my signature technique which allows me to 'teleport' wherever I place a special seal."

Naruto stared in amazement, making Minato chuckle again.

"Now, come on. The lunch will be ready soon," Minato said and left the office, closely followed by Naruto.

They walked through the hallway, which was mostly plain, if it weren't for some pictures. Naruto didn't pay much attention to them as he and Minato slowly descended the stairs, before walking toward the kitchen. As soon as they entered, Naruto spotted a woman with long red hair, smiling kindly at him.

"You must be Naruto-kun, right?" she asked with a soft, motherly voice.

Naruto nodded. "Who are you?"

The woman giggled. "I am Kushina."

"Nice to meet you, Kushina-san," Naruto said with a grin.

"There is someone else who would like to meet you," Minato said and pushed Naruto gently.

Naruto took a step forward and came face to face with a small girl. She had red hair like her mother and her eyes were pretty violet color. Her face was a bit round which, combined with her flaming red hair, made her look like a tomato. She also had three whisker marks on each cheek. The girl blushed, which Naruto found cute, and tackled the black-haired boy in a hug. Naruto, surprised by the hug, stumbled backwards and fell on his back, pulling the girl with him. The girl slowly raised her head after the fall and blushed when she saw how close their faces were. She stumbled back up with her head down, her red hair covering her eyes. Minato and Kushina only chuckled.

Naruto stood up shakily, still slightly disoriented with the action. He looked at the girl in confusion and opened his mouth to speak, but the girl cut him off with a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for saving me, Naruto-kun," she said that so quietly that Naruto almost didn't hear it. Of course the kiss only increased his disorientation from before.

Finally getting his bearings, he fought his blush back and addressed the girl. "I-it's nothing really, um?"

The girl blushed again and shyly offered her name. "N-Namikaze Tsubaki."

Naruto grinned. "Nice to meet you, Tsubaki-chan, I am Naruto!" the girl blushed again, which confused Naruto. "Hey, your face is kind of red. Are you okay?" he asked and placed his hand on her forehead, something he saw matrons at the orphanage do when they think someone was sick.

The girl got wide-eyed when his hand touched her forehead and she blushed so hard that Naruto thought she would explode. Before he voiced his concerns though, her eyes rolled back and she fainted.

Minato began to laugh as he saw the small boy panic around his daughter, while Kushina started to giggle.

"Don't worry, Naruto-kun, she will be fine in a minute," Kushina said and Naruto visibly relaxed.

"Come on," Minato said and led the boy to the table. "Let's eat!"

The lunch went by in a cheery atmosphere. When Tsubaki woke up, she was embarrassed by her fainting and refused to look at Naruto anymore. Minato would tell stories from his younger days, crack a joke here and there and, before they knew it, the sun was starting to set.

"Thank you for your hospitality," Naruto said to the two adults with a bow.

Minato waved him off. "It was nothing. You did save our daughter."

Naruto blushed at the praise. "Anyway, I better get going. See ya at the academy, Tsubaki-chan!"

The girl blushed and waved shyly. Naruto grinned one last time before he ran off to the orphanage.

Xxxx

Rest of the week passed quickly and Naruto was on his way to the Ninja Academy. The smile on his face never left him as he walked toward the place where he will begin to fulfill his dream. He swore to himself that he would become the strongest ninja ever so that he would be able to protect anyone who was precious to him. He would never be so weak and helpless, like he was when Tsubaki was almost kidnapped.

Arriving at the academy, he noticed that he only had few more minutes before the class started. Walking through the corridors, he searched his classroom. The slip of paper he received the day before said that his sensei was someone named Umino Iruka. He only hoped that Tsubaki would be in the same class as him.

Arriving at the classroom, he could hear the chatter of the students inside. Hoping that he wasn't late, he knocked at the door before opening them. The students quieted instantly and all eyes fell on him.

"Hello, may I help you?" a man with a pineapple pony-tail and a scar across his nose asked him. Behind him another man with long grey hair and bandana-style forehead protector stood.

Naruto nodded. "My name is Naruto and I should be in this class."

The man with the scar checked his notepad before nodding. "That's correct. Well, I am Umino Iruka and behind me is Mizuki," the man with the bandana waved. "If you could sit down so we can begin."

Naruto nodded and looked around for an empty seat. His eyes fell on a familiar head of red hair and a smile appeared on his face when she waved him over. He walked toward her and sat down on the empty seat beside her and smiled at her, to which she blushed. "Hey, Tsubaki-chan, how are you?"

"I'm okay, Naruto-kun," she shyly answered.

Any conversation that could've arisen was interrupted when Iruka spoke up. "First of, welcome to the Ninja academy. For the next seven years, Mizuki-sensei and myself will do our best to help you toward your path as a shinobi of Konoha. If you have any questions at any time, feel free to ask and we will try our best to answer them. Now let's begin with the name call."

One by one, the students would rose from their seats and state their names. There were thirty people in the class, and it was a common knowledge that more than half would probably fail in the end or would leave the academy at some point. Though saddening, it wasn't weird. Not everyone was fit to be a ninja.

When the name call ended, Iruka smiled at his students. "Let's begin."

Xxxx

The first day at the academy was… boring. Listening about the history of Elemental Nations was not something Naruto expected in the Ninja Academy. He expected Taijutsu practices, kunai and shuriken usage, learning new Ninjutsu, certainly not history. Sighing, he exited the academy and began his trek toward the orphanage. Before he could though, an Anbu member appeared in front of him and Naruto tensed. He knew about Anbu, everyone did. A special force of Konoha-nin that worked in complete secrets. The matrons in the orphanage would tell them that if they didn't behave, Anbu would come and snatch them in their sleep. Naruto didn't know what he did to get snatched, but before he could do anything, the Anbu reassured him.

"Naruto-san, Hokage-sama requested your presence," the Anbu said in a calm tone. "I assure you that you won't be hurt in any way."

Naruto visibly relaxed at that and nodded. Seeing the nod, the Anbu turned and began to walk toward the Hokage Tower. Naruto, on the other hand, was kind of excited. An opportunity to visit the Hokage in his office was a dream of every wannabe ninja. He just hoped that the visit would be friendly.

Soon enough, the two arrived at the red building the Hokage's office was. Passing through the door, they climbed the stairs and soon found themselves in front of the office. The Anbu member knocked and motioned Naruto to enter, before he disappeared. Naruto was confused at first, but relented and entered. Inside, he saw the Hokage sitting behind his desk with a smile on his face and a person in a dark-blue t-shirt, with some weird fan symbol on the back, like the boy from his class. When he looked closer, he could tell that they were related. He blushed embarrassingly when he noticed that they had the same hairstyle.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," Minato greeted warmly. "How was your first day at the academy?"

"Boring," Naruto replied, making Minato chuckle. "I was expecting some real ninja training, not some useless history."

"Then I have good news for you," at Naruto's confused expression, he continued. "This man here would like to train you."

Naruto looked at Itachi with a questioning glance. "Why would you want to train me? I'm just another orphan, there is nothing special about me."

"You are my cousin," Itachi stated and Naruto's mouth opened in shock. "Your mother was an Uchiha civilian and also, my aunt."

"W-wait, I'm an Uchiha?" Itachi nodded and Naruto grimaced slightly. "Do I have to be Uchiha Naruto now?"

"You wouldn't want that, Naruto-kun?" Minato asked, honestly surprised. He didn't really want for his son to become an Uchiha, but if he wanted, he would allow it.

Naruto shook his head. "There is an Uchiha in my class and he is really arrogant, always saying that he is the best just because of his name. His father is the same, looking at others like they are trash and unworthy to be in his presence. Also, I've seen people bowing to them like they are some kind of royalty. I don't want to be praised just because of my name."

After hearing this, Itachi smiled, something that slightly shocked the Hokage. "I presume you are talking about Sasuke-kun?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, you know him?"

"He is my brother," Itachi said and Naruto's eyes widened. The boy began to stutter nonsense, but Itachi waved him off. "I agree with your statement. Sasuke-kun inherited our father's arrogance and I won't deny that my father thinks very highly of himself. I will also support your decision of not taking the Uchiha name."

Naruto nodded, before realizing something. "But, why are you telling me all this now, why not before?"

"Naruto-kun, did you notice anything when you were being attacked by that man the other day?" Itachi asked.

Naruto shuddered slightly. The scene of the man getting stabbed coming back full force. Feeling the hand on his shoulder, he calmed down. "I remember that I could see more clearly and I could somehow see every move the man did."

Itachi nodded. "You have unlocked the Sharingan, the eye of our clan. If you accept my offer to train you, I will teach you how to use it efficiently."

Naruto thought for a moment before nodding. "I accept."

Itachi smiled again. "I will tell you though, that I will expect full cooperation from you. Also, you will have to hide the fact that you have the Sharingan at least until you become a ninja. If someone from my clan found out now, the consequences could be dire. After you become a ninja, the clan cannot directly interfere with the shinobi under the authority of the Hokage unless you are the already in the clan," Naruto nodded. "Very well, wait for me tomorrow after academy and I will take you to the training grounds," Itachi said and disappeared in smoke, much to the amazement of the boy.

"Wow," Naruto muttered, before realizing that the Hokage was still here. "Um, can I go now?"

Minato smiled. "Yes, you can."

Naruto bowed and left, happy that he would finally start his real ninja training.

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**And that's it for Chapter 1. I hope you like it and if you have any questions, feel free to ask.**

**Review and tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys!**

**Here's another chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Clash of kunai could be heard echoing through the training grounds where two people sparred. To the eyes of the people, it would seem that they were evenly matched, but only the best of shinobi could see that one was holding back. Blue eyes locked with black for a split-second, before the two jumped away.

"You have really improved, Naruto-kun," the taller man spoke.

Naruto offered a small grin at the praise. "I've had a good teacher," he replied. "So, what are we going to do today?"

"Today, we will began your Ninjutsu training," Itachi said.

Naruto grinned at that. It has been a year since he began training under Itachi and all they did was physical training, Taijutsu and chakra control exercise. His speed and stamina improved drastically with the usage of weights and everyday physical training. Itachi taught him the Uchiha main Taijutsu style, the Interceptor. That style was used in combination with the Sharingan's ability to predict and counter. Without the Sharingan, the style was mostly useless, as the user couldn't predict where the opponent will strike. Itachi also taught him Anbu's standard Taijutsu style, to cover the weakness in case he couldn't use the Sharingan. All in all, Naruto was above his classmates in Taijutsu department by a lot.

Naruto also learned some chakra control exercises, mainly tree and water walking. He mastered tree walking in a day and water walking in two, which was amazing for a seven year old. He was also experimenting with the leaf balancing exercise, making the leaf float across his body whenever he had some time to spare. Now, his chakra control was great and his chakra pool increased.

"So, what are you going to teach me?" Naruto asked with barely contained excitement.

Itachi put a finger on his chin and thought for a moment. "I could teach you the three academy techniques, but it would be pointless if you are going to learn them at the academy," he then pulled out a small piece of paper from his pouch and handed it to Naruto. "Channel some chakra into it."

Naruto looked at the paper with slight confusion before nodding. He channeled some chakra in it and three things happened. The paper first wrinkled, then became soggy, before it burned away. Naruto dropped the paper with a start when the flames appeared and quickly stomped on it to extinguish the fire. He looked up at Itachi with a questioning gaze. "What the hell was that?"

"That was a chakra paper," Itachi explained. "We use it to discover our elemental affinity. How we see that is by the way the paper reacts when chakra is channeled in it. If your affinity is fire, it will burn. If it's water, it will become wet. If it's earth, it will crumble into dust. If it's lightning, it will wrinkle, and if it's wind, it will split in two. Most people have only one affinity and some of the stronger jonin have two. I myself have fire and water, which is slightly unusual since fire is weaker than water. There are some rare cases where a person has three affinities. One of those cases is you," he said and pointed at Naruto. "You have affinities for fire, water and lightning. Fire is not unusual, since it is very common among the Uchiha, water is somewhat peculiar because of its relationship with fire, but I don't know from where the lightning came."

Itachi did actually know from where Naruto's lightning affinity came. It was widely known that the Yondaime Hokage was very proficient in lightning techniques. Since Naruto was his son, it wasn't strange that the affinity was passed on. Of course, he couldn't tell that to Naruto, since the fact that he was the Hokage's son was a secret. It surprised Itachi, though, that Naruto never asked about his father. He didn't know what he would tell the boy if he asked, so he was kind of glad that he didn't, but it still confused him. Wouldn't an orphan want to know both of his parents? Putting those thoughts aside, he looked at his young student.

"Is it good that I have three affinities?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"Yes, since it will be easier for you to learn techniques from those three elements. You can still learn techniques that are not your affinities, but it will be harder and less efficient," Itachi explained.

"So," Naruto began after a minute of silence. "What will I do first?"

"Take a leaf," Itachi replied.

Naruto stared at Itachi for a full minute to see if he was joking or not. Leaf? Why the hell would he need a leaf? It's not like you need leaves to use Ninjutsu. After a full minute of staring at Itachi's stoic face, Naruto sighed and picked up a leaf. "What now?"

"Now," Itachi said calmly, although his eyes showed mirth as he looked at Naruto's expression. "Sit on the ground and put the leaf between your palms. What you need to do is to focus on your fire chakra and burn the leaf."

"How do I do that?" Naruto asked, confused.

"Concentrate on something hot," Itachi replied. "Imagine a fire and seek that fire in your chakra. Once you have it, unleash it on the leaf and burn it. That should take you some time, so don't expect you will do it anytime soon. I will not teach you any fire techniques until you burn the leaf."

Naruto's mouth opened in shock, before he frowned. Determination crept in his eyes and he pressed his palms together. Itachi watched in mild amusement as Naruto strained himself to burn the leaf. It took Itachi three months to burn the leaf. Three months of training and hard work and the leaf was finally burnt. He was also a year younger than Naruto when he succeeded, so he wouldn't be surprised if Naruto burns it in less time.

And so the days went on and Naruto still couldn't even singe the leaf. The boy was getting frustrated by the minute and Itachi thought that he will snap if he doesn't burn the leaf soon. Finally, after a week of training, the leaf had burns around the edges. Upon seeing it, Naruto's determination risen and he began to work even harder, sometimes even at the academy, much to Iruka's ire and Tsubaki's amusement. A month later, and the leaf was gone, only ashes remained.

Xxxx

Naruto grinned in satisfaction as he showed the small pile of ashes to Itachi. He had burned the leaf completely after only a month, which a surprise for Itachi. He had expected the boy to take at least two months to complete it. Now Naruto stood in front of him, with an expectant gaze directed at him.

"Yes, Naruto-kun, today I will teach you a fire technique," he said with a barely contained chuckle as he saw Naruto grin happily.

"Which one?" Naruto asked excitedly.

Itachi placed his hands in a snake seal, which was followed by five others, and put his hand to his mouth. **"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" **a large stream of fire flew from Itachi's mouth. The training dummies that were stationed at the training grounds were completely turned to ash. Naruto watched in amazement as the fireball streamed through the air, heating it all the while. Few seconds later, Itachi cancelled the technique and turned to Naruto. "This is one of the simpler fire techniques. After you mold your chakra with hand-seals, you channel chakra through your lungs and ignite it. Now, turn on your Sharingan so you can copy it."

Naruto's eyes snapped shut the moment Itachi stopped talking. He was about to open them again, with his Sharingan activated, but stopped himself. With a small smile, he opened his eyes again, showing their bright blue color. "I won't use the Sharingan when I'm learning techniques. It feels like I would be stealing it from you and even if you let me, it still feels wrong. I won't take the short way out and I'll learn with hard work."

A small ghost of a smile appeared on Itachi's face. A strange emotion crept in his heart as he looked at the boy. It took him a minute to realize, but when he did, he knew it was right. He felt pride, something he never felt when he watched his younger brother train. Naruto had a way to shorten his training time, but tossed it aside because of his morals. Itachi knew that if Sasuke had the Sharingan and he offered him a technique, he wouldn't be able to finish the name of it and Sasuke would have his Sharingan activated. He snorted inwardly when he thought of all the Uchihas that had their Sharingan activated during each Chunin Exam. Sometimes, he really felt ashamed of his clan.

"Very well," Itachi said. "These are the hand-seals. Memorize them and begin," Itachi showed him the six required hand-seals and Naruto threw himself into training.

Xxxx

"Itachi," Fugaku's cold voice resounded as he addressed his eldest son. "Meet me in my study," he said and entered a room behind sliding door.

Itachi sighed and followed his father. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. "What can I do for you, father?" Itachi asked as he stood in front of his father's desk.

"I have been informed that you have been training an orphan for the last year," Fugaku said sternly. "Is it true?"

Itachi knew that there was no point in lying. If his father said he knew, then that was the truth. If his father wanted to know something, in most cases he would. Some things would stay a secret for now, though. "That is true."

Fugaku frowned. "What is your reason for that? You do have a brother whom you can train."

"I have my own reasons, father," Itachi said calmly. Fugaku frowned and opened his mouth to speak, when Itachi interrupted him. "I have permission from the Hokage, so you cannot tell me to stop training me."

Fugaku frowned. "Fine, do what you want."

"Is there anything else, father?" Itachi asked suspiciously. "Surely this wasn't all."

Fugaku nodded. "Yes, there is more. The Uchiha elders and myself began to plan a coup on the village. We will overthrow the Yondaime and take our rightful place in the village."

Only years of experience in Anbu made it possible for Itachi to stay calm during Fugaku's speech. To hear that his own clan was planning a coup was utterly shocking. He couldn't believe how arrogant the elders and his father have become. Itachi also didn't understand why they would do that. The Uchiha clan was well respected and one of the richest in the village. It had its own police force, which also increased their wealth and popularity. Both civilians and shinobi bowed in their presence. What rightful place his father talked about was something he didn't understand.

"I don't understand, father. The Uchiha clan is well established in the village. What more would you want?" Itachi asked, hiding his shock and disbelief under a skillfully created mask.

"After the Senju became the Shodai Hokage, the Uchiha clan was tossed aside like it didn't worth anything. It only added fuel to the fire when another Senju took the Hokage's mantle and his student after him. Uchiha Madara deserved the position of the Shodai, not the Senju," Fugaku spoke with venom every time the name of the Senju was mentioned. "We will change that, though, and when the time is right, we will strike."

"I see," was Itachi's only reply.

"The meetings will begin soon and I will expect your presence there. As a member of the Anbu, you will be a valuable spy for our clan," Fugaku said seriously and received a nod in return. "Also, make sure that the orphan you're training is on our side. It would do no good that his skills are wasted on the enemy," he said with finality and Itachi knew it was time to leave. With a nod of acknowledgement, Itachi left the office.

He didn't know what to think after he heard all of that, but one thing he knew for sure. He will never allow his clan to use Naruto in their arrogance.

Xxxx

Two years have passed since Naruto began his Ninjutsu training. Under Itachi's tutelage, he had mastered both his fire and water affinities. His chakra control was now at Itachi's level and his teacher began to teach him Genjutsu and his signature techniques.

With his Sharingan, Naruto could cast illusions that even some of the weaker jonin couldn't dispel them. Without his eyes, his Genjutsu was at a good enough level that he could easily capture a chunin in his illusions.

Today, Itachi told him he had something special to teach him and Naruto, naturally, was very excited. They stood at an emty training ground and Itachi had a scroll in his hands.

"What's that scroll, Itachi-nii?" Naruto asked. Itachi raised an eyebrow and stayed silent, making Naruto grumble. "Fine, Itachi-sensei, what is that scroll?"

"This is a Summoning Contract, Naruto-kun," Itachi replied. He almost chuckled at Naruto's expression. "Today, I will begin teaching you techniques you will use in combination with crows."

Naruto looked at him confused. "Crows? Why crows?"

"Because this is a Crow Contract which will allow you to summon crows. They are very good for gathering information, delivering messages or diversions. All crows are equals so there is no Boss Crow. They will be useless if you have to fight a big summon," Itachi explained. "There are three techniques with crows I will teach you, but first, you have to sign the contract," he said and unrolled the scroll. "Sign your name in blood and you will be able to summon them."

Naruto nodded and bit his finger. Excitement coursed through his veins as he began to sign his names. He knew that crows weren't anything special and in full battle, they would be useless, but Summoning Contracts were still rare. For Itachi to show that he was comfortable enough for Naruto to sign it made the boy happy. With one final swipe, his name was signed and he looked up at Itachi for the next course of action.

Itachi bit his finger and started a hand seal sequence. **"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" **he slammed his hand in the ground and a crow appeared in a puff of smoke. The crow then flew in the air and landed on Itachi's shoulder. "Did you remember the seals?" Itachi asked and Naruto nodded.

Naruto then used his already bitten finger and completed the sequence, before slamming his hand on the ground. Another crow appeared and landed on his shoulder. "So, what are the techniques?"

"The first technique I will teach you is a crow clone. It creates solid clones, but unlike shadow clones, it uses crows as a medium. Because of that, it will use less chakra. They can also use techniques, but can't transfer the information back to the original, so they are useless in training and data gathering," Itachi said and made some hand seals. **"Karasu Bunshin no Jutsu!" **

Naruto looked with some amazement as crows began to combine into a form. It took a few seconds and another Itachi stood by the original. Itachi then dispersed the clone and crows flew away.

"My turn," Naruto muttered and did the same seals as Itachi. **"Karasu Bunshin no Jutsu!**

Itachi chuckled slightly as nothing happened, earning a glare from Naruto. Naruto then repeated the process and nothing happened, again. Sensing Naruto's anger growing, Itachi spoke. "This technique is harder to learn than shadow clones, because it focuses more on chakra control. The shadow clones appear by splitting your chakra in half and, because of that, they are easier to learn. It will take some time, but I am sure you will learn it."

Naruto nodded and took a deep breath. He concentrated and did the seals again. His eyes widened as he saw couple of crows combining, before they separated. A small smile formed on his face. He would learn it soon.

Xxxx

It was late in the evening and wind blew through the village. A blood-red moon shone in the sky, giving ominous feelings to the villagers. Those who looked at the moon would shiver in fright, like something terrible would happen tonight. They had no idea how right they were.

A slice could be heard in the night, followed closely by a thump. A man stood above the dead body, looking at it impassively with his red eyes. He flicked the blood of his sword and left the room without looking back.

He lost count of how many men, women and children he killed tonight. How much blood of his clansmen did he spill. He only knew that he had a mission and mission comes first. His gaze fell on a house down the road. He would leave it for last, he decided.

He walked to the next house and entered. Two elderly people lived there, a man and a woman. The man was resting in his chair, while the woman was washing dishes. He should kill her first, to prevent any screaming should she stumble upon her husband's dead body. He silently walked toward her and placed his hand over her mouth. She didn't even have time to scream as he plunged his sword through her heart. Her husband was easier, slice over the throat didn't leave a sound.

It became a routine for him. He would enter a house, kill the people inside and leave. He didn't feel anything, he killed his heart before he began. Finally, he stood in front of the house, his house. His parents were next. He knew he should've feel something, but only one thing was going through. The mission had to be completed.

He silently crept through the hallways, paying attention to each sound around. The house was eerily silent, like it was empty. Itachi squashed the thought immediately as he sensed his parents in the sitting room. He walked through the door and stood before his parents. Their gazes fell on him and confusion turned into fear and anger as they saw the bloody sword.

"What is the meaning of this, Itachi?" Fugaku shouted.

Itachi didn't respond as a sword protruded from the older man's chest. Fugaku's eyes widened and his mouth opened in a silent scream. Itachi's clone pulled out the sword and dispersed, leaving the original alone with his mother.

A sob was heard and Itachi turned to his mother. Tears flowed down her face and her shoulders shook in fear and sadness. It was a heart-wrenching sight, one that nearly made Itachi drop his sword. Steeling his resolve, he walked toward his mother, raising his sword with each step. He stood before her, his sword poised to strike.

"I-Itach-kun, w-why?" Mikoto asked through her sobs.

Tears almost burst from Itachi's eyes as his mother asked that question. His hand shook as he tried to swing it. His grip on the handle was so tight, that his knuckles turned white. He closed his eyes and swung. Sound of metal cutting through flesh was heard and Mikoto's lifeless body fell on the floor.

A sob escaped Itachi and tears flowed down his cheeks. He did it, he killed his parents. All those other people he killed tonight were forgotten as he gazed at his dead mother. He looked up as he heard footsteps on the other side of the door. Wiping his tears away, he waited for the person to enter. The door opened and a boy entered.

"Hello, Sasuke-kun," Itachi said with a cold voice.

Sasuke looked frightened. "They're dead, Nii-san! They're all de-" his words died in his throat as he saw his dead parents. His eyes widened and he took a step back. realization hit him when he saw the bloody sword in Itachi's hand. "Y-you k-killed them…"

"Yes, I did," Itachi said calmly, like there were no dead bodies around him.

"W-why?" Sasuke asked disbelievingly.

"I needed a way to test myself," Itachi replied. "I had to see the extent of my power."

Sasuke couldn't listen anymore. He turned around and fled without a glance at his brother. He ran down the empty streets of the Uchiha district, trying to find someone, anyone.

A figure jumped in front of him. Sasuke looked up in fear as his brother's Sharingan bore deeply in his soul. The three tomoe that were spinning, formed another form, one of the three-bladed shuriken. Sasuke could only look on as he was sucked in another world.

The sky was black with red clouds drifting everywhere. The atmosphere was chilling, sending shivers down Sasuke's spine. He looked around, seeing nothing but for miles around. He could only see red around him. Then his eyes fell on the most frightening sight.

The moon was red, like someone took buckets of blood and just spilt them over it. The sight so terrified for young boy that he thought he would faint just from looking at it. He looked around again, trying to find an exit, a mean to escape from this hell. Yes, hell was a good word to describe this world, for something that could be so frightening, could only be made by the devil himself.

"Welcome to the world of Tsukuyomi," a cold voice spoke behind Sasuke. The boy turned around quickly and faced the devil himself.

Itachi stood there, with a calm and impassionate expression on his face. His Sharingan blazed with intensity of a sun and, even though he knew that he shouldn't, Sasuke looked in those eyes with both amazement and fear.

"For the next seventy two hours, you will see the fall of our clan," Itachi said coldly. "Over and over again," with that final sentence the first body fell and Sasuke screamed.

Xxxx

Sasuke fell on the ground, breathing hard. His eyes were unfocused and tears streamed down his face. The last seventy two hours in his mind were the worst he had ever experienced. Seeing your clansmen die over and over was not something a nine year old boy would want to see.

"Now you have seen the true power of the Sharingan," Itachi spoek coldly, snapping Sasuke out of his terrified daze. "The Mangekyo Sharingan is truly a fearful weapon," he said as if he was amazed by it. "To gain these eyes, you have to kill your closest friend, you have to experience the worst emotional pain. If you want to kill me, curse me! Hate me and live a long and unsightly life. Cling to your pitiful existence and run away," he said, getting quieter with each word. "My foolish little brother… there was no value in killing you tonight. Weaklings like you shouldn't even be looked at," with that said, he turned around and left, not allowing his little brother to see the tears he was shedding.

Sasuke was left alone, in the middle of the street with his brother's words ringing in his ears.

"_Weakling…"_

"_Foolish…"_

"_Closest friend…"_

"_Mangekyo…" _

With that one last thought, he lost consciousness and succumbed to his nightmares, unaware of the eyes that watched him.

"You were supposed to kill them all," a cold voice spoke to seemingly no one.

"I… I just couldn't…" Itachi replied from the darkness.

The figure snorted. "I should've expected that from you, Itachi. This little setback better not ruin our plans in the future."

"It won't… Madara-sama," Itachi replied with a bow.

"Our business is finished here," Madara spoke. "The Uchihas are all but one. Let's go!" he said with contempt and jumped in the trees, followed by Itachi.

'_No… there is one more,' _was Itachi's last thought before the two disappeared in the darkness.

Xxxx

Naruto sat lazily at his desk in the academy. It was a boring day with another boring lecture recited by Iruka with his usual boring history voice. Naruto would probably fall asleep for at least ten times that day, but increasing feeling of dread prevented any sleep to come his way. Shivers run down his spine every few minutes and his eyes looked at the door every now and then, almost expecting someone to come and bring some bad news.

And someone came, indeed. An Anbu member opened the door and addressed Iruka. "Umino-san, Hokage-sama requests presence of Naruto-san."

Muttering began through the class, much to Iruka's annoyance who then shouted at them to calm down. "Now, Naruto, I don't think you should keep Hokage-sama waiting."

Naruto nodded mutely and left with Anbu, ignoring the looks and mutterings from the class.

"So what's this all about?" Naruto asked the Anbu as they exited the academy.

"You will find out soon enough," the Anbu replied with finality and Naruto knew he wouldn't get anything more out of him. He did spend three years with Itachi, who was in Anbu, and learned everything about Anbu behavior.

The two soon arrived at the tower and the door of the Hokage's office. Naruto could feel the depressing atmosphere from the office. The Anbu knocked and motioned Naruto in, who in turn couldn't run away anymore. With a heavy sigh, he entered the office.

Minato sat at his desk, doing the paperwork which, after the massacre, greatly increased. Each dead body had to be registered, filed and buried. The process would take at least a week, if not more. He sighed heavily as he saw Naruto enter his office. Minato knew how close Naruto was to Itachi, and how the boy thought of him as a brother. This news would surely crush him.

Minato also didn't know why Itachi did what he did. Itachi informed him about the coup and Minato began to search for a diplomatic solution for the problem. He was a pacifist and hated war ever since he could remember. To have one directly in his village was something he would never allow to happen. However, he would never go as far to completely exterminate an entire clan for that. He had a clear suspect in mind, but without any concrete evidence, it was useless to even mention it.

Sighing again, he turned to Naruto and gave him a sad smile. "Hello, Naruto-kun."

Naruto bowed slightly. "Hokage-sama, I have been summoned?" he could feel dread rising in him. The expression on the Hokage's face was one of sadness and even slight pity. He was afraid of that expression. Namikaze Minato was always brave and strong, a determined genius that didn't falter even a step in front of an army of hundreds Iwa-nins. To see such expression on his face, Naruto knew that something happened. Something terrible.

"Yes, Naruto-kun, something happened the night before," Minato said seriously. He really didn't know how to tell the boy what happened, so he decided to just be blunt and say it directly. "The Uchiha clan has been massacred," he ignored Naruto's gasp and continued. "Only two people survived, Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi, who was also the one to kill his clansmen. He is now marked as an S-class missing-nin."

Naruto stood still, with his mouth partly open as he heard the Hokage's statement. Itachi killed his clan? No way, no fucking way! Why would Itachi do that? He had no reason to do it. He loved his clan, maybe not so much, but enough not to exterminate it. There had to be a reason for this, something must have happened for Itachi to do something like this, but what? Itachi would never betray his clan for anything or anybody. His mind dragged him to a sentence Itachi once told him. _"There is nothing more precious to me than our village." _Of course. Itachi loved his village more, he loved Konoha more. There was only one way Itachi would do something like this.

"Did you order him to do it?" Naruto asked coldly.

Minato's eyes widened for a moment, before he schooled his features. Even Minato knew about Itachi's love for the village and if Naruto spent so much time with him, he would know as well. Also, Naruto was a smart child and his mind could easily come with a scenario that was most plausible. Minato didn't know whether to praise his smartness or curse it.

"No, Naruto-kun, I didn't order him to do it," Minato said, but Naruto's cold gaze didn't falter even for a moment. He sighed and placed his hand on a special seal on his desk. The array glowed, before dying down. Naruto absently noted that it was a silencing seal. "Naruto-kun, what I'm about to tell you is an S-ranked secret," Naruto nodded. "Two years ago, Itachi came here and informed me that the Uchiha clan was planning a coup. The coup would weaken us greatly so it had to be stopped, I'm sure you would agree. For the last year, I was trying to find a peaceful solution to stop the coup. I guess that I was too late and Itachi acted."

"That doesn't answer my question," Naruto said.

"As I said, I didn't order him to do it. I do suspect who did, but without evidence, I can't do anything. But there is one thing I want to tell you," Minato's face turned serious. "From now on, it is most crucial that you do not reveal your relation to the Uchiha clan. Also, be especially wary of a man named Shimura Danzo. He is a retired shinobi, but I know that he is leading an underground organization of ninja. I ordered him to disband it, but I'm most certain he didn't listen. Again, though, I have no evidence."

Naruto stayed quiet for a moment, before speaking. "You suspect this Danzo ordered Itachi to kill his family?"

Minato's gaze was so serious that Naruto could see in the man's eyes that he was correct. Hokage was suspecting Danzo, that much was certain. "This entire conversation is an S-class secret, Naruto-kun, please remember that," Naruto nodded mutely and, for the first time since he arrived at the office, the tense atmosphere lightened. Minato gave him a tired smile as he turned off the silencing seal. "You can go home, Naruto-kun. Get some rest and, if you need anything, don't be afraid to stop by our house."

Naruto nodded his thanks and left. He had a lot to think over.

* * *

**And that's it for now.**

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	3. Chapter 3

**Yo!**

**Here's another chapter. Hope you'll like it.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Naruto walked calmly toward the academy. The graduation day has finally arrived and, after today, Naruto would finally become what he always dreamed, a shinobi. He had no doubt that he would pass as his training was much greater than that of others. Itachi made sure of that.

He still didn't know the real reason why Itachi did what he did. The Hokage didn't have any clues and Naruto decided that it was better to not ask. It still hurt him though, as Itachi was much more than his sensei. He was his friend and a person he considered an older brother. Sure he had some 'friends' at the academy, but only one of them gained his trust on a level like Itachi did.

He changed a lot after that day four years ago. His attire changed and now he wore black pants and sandals, black jacket and white t-shirt. He also became much calmer and more distant to others, rather than trying to befriend others though he did try and talk to Sasuke. What followed was Sasuke attacking him and accusing him of helping Itachi, since the boy knew about their training sessions. Naruto easily subdued Sasuke and nearly broke his arm in the process. After that, he decided to leave the boy alone, even if they were cousins. The boy clearly didn't want to have anything with him, so he stopped trying. If he was allowed to tell him they were cousins, maybe they could be something akin to friends, but frankly, Naruto didn't care. Sasuke became even more arrogant than before and Naruto sure as hell didn't want to be anywhere near him.

Naruto would probably stay at the back of the class, silent and distant from everyone forever, if there wasn't a light spot in the dark. Tsubaki was there for him and helped him when Itachi left. They would often spend time together talking, or even training and Naruto was really grateful for that. She was his friend, a best friend and he promised himself he would protect her until the day he died.

Finally reaching the academy, he calmed himself and entered. It take him long to reach the class where he spent the last seven years of his life. If he had to say, the academy was actually disappointing. They had some Taijutsu and Shurikenjutsu training, along with the three simple Ninjutsu techniques, but other than that, it was really under his level. Training with Itachi must have raised his standards. Based on what the academy thought, he doubted many of the civilians would pass. They simply didn't have enough will and talent and academy instructors could only do so much.

Entering his class, he saw that only Iruka was there. That kind of situation happened often and he would spend the time for others to arrive, just talking with his sensei about anything. Iruka was a fair teacher and he didn't have any quarrels about helping those who needed it. He couldn't do much, since he couldn't show any favoritism, but those he helped had easier time later.

The man smiled at the sight of his student. "Good morning, Naruto. I see you're early again."

Naruto nodded. "God morning, Iruka-sensei. It seems that I have woken up before my alarm clock yet again."

The two smiled at each other, something which Naruto rarely did lately, and Iruka motioned him to sit. "Take a seat, Naruto. It won't be long before others arrive. I presume you prepared for the test?"

"That I did, Iruka-sensei," Naruto replied and silence fell over them.

Iruka looked at the boy with some admiration in his eyes. Naruto was easily the best student in his class and would surely be the rookie of the year. He was the best in Taijutsu, his chakra control was amazing and he could hit a target in the center with his eyes closed. Iruka felt proud to have him as his student, even if he himself didn't teach him much. Not that he didn't want to, but Naruto already knew more than others. The scarred chunin also felt some connection between them as they were both orphans. From their conversations, he found out that the boy didn't know of his father and, for some reason, he didn't care. Iruka didn't want to seem pushy so he didn't ask more.

The door opened again and students started pouring in. One by one, they entered and took their seats, ready to take on the graduation exam and pass it. Not everybody would have their wishes granted.

Naruto looked around, searching for the familiar mane of red hair, but he couldn't find it. He sighed, thinking that she would be late again, and resolved to just look at the door and wait for her to arrive. The door opened again and two people entered. Sadly, none of them was Tsubaki.

"Naruto-kun is better, forehead!" a blonde-haired girl with a pony-tail yelled.

"Shut up, pig! Sasuke-kun is much better!" her pink-haired companion yelled back.

Naruto sighed again. Ever since the girls began to notice boys, the female part of the class was divided. He received his fair share of fan-girls and the number kept growing ever since he showed that he was better than Sasuke. Now, more than seventy percent of the girls in his class were in his fan-club and he was eternally grateful that Tsubaki was there to save him from their advances. Sometimes, he could swear Sasuke was smirking at him, his eyes clearly saying how glad he was that Naruto had it worse. Naruto was happy to remove that smirk at the next sparring session.

"Shut up, both of you!" a new voice yelled and Naruto couldn't help but smile when he noticed the owner.

Tsubaki entered, with and angry, yet cute expression on her face and slapped the two girls across their heads. Naruto had to admit that she became even prettier over the years. Her red hair was still there, along with her violet eyes and six whisker marks. Her face, though, was leaner and, with the loss of her baby fat, she didn't look like a tomato anymore. She was wearing a beige, short-sleeved battle kimono that reached her thighs, with black sash tied across her waist. She also had black shorts and thigh high black boots. Naruto also couldn't help but notice that she was quite developed in the chest department. Sensing someone looking at her, she looked around and locked her eyes with Naruto's. She gave him a bright smile that, somehow, made him feel warm. Without missing a beat, she rushed through the class and sat on an empty chair beside him.

"Hey, Naruto-kun!" she greeted him happily. "Do you think you will pass?"

Naruto chuckled at her enthusiasm. He could still remember when she was a shy and blushing girl and when, all of a sudden, she became more cheerful. He was glad that she managed to overcome her shyness. "Hello, Tsubaki-chan. Yes, I am quite sure I will pass."

Tsubaki gave him a bright smile. "Then I hope we get on a same team. I really wouldn't like to be on a team with some of the other guys," she glanced at Kiba, who was looking at her with somewhat lecherous expression, but a glare from the red-hear, sent him cowering with his tail between his legs.

"Well, the rookie of the year is often paired with the dead last of the class. Considering your abilities, I am sure we will be on a same team," Naruto said with a hint of mirth.

"That's right!" Tsubaki exclaimed. Naruto watched her for a few seconds and, true to his suspicions, she turned red. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" she shouted angrily.

"Oh nothing, Tsubaki-chan," Naruto replied with one of his rare chuckles.

"I'll have you know that I'm stronger than you," Tsubaki muttered, her face still red.

"I was joking, Tsubaki-chan," Naruto said and took her arm in his. Her face turned red again, but for a completely different reason now. "I do not think you are weak. I know you are strong and never let anyone tell you otherwise. You are the only person I would let to watch my back in a fight."

Tsubaki smiled at that. To know that he would put his life in her hands meant the world to her. She was happy that he had put such trust in her and she would do anything in her power to never let him doubt her. From now on, she would always have his back, as he would have hers. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto gave her one last smile and released her arm, much to her displeasure, and turned his attention to Iruka, who was handed a stack of papers by Mizuki. The scarred chunin coughed to gain attention and addressed his students.

"Alright, let's start the graduation exam. You will each receive a test for which you have thirty minutes to complete. After that, we are going outside to test your kunai and shuriken throwing and your Taijutsu. Thelast part will be a Ninjutsu exam, in which you will have to perform all three academy techniques," Iruka said and began to hand out the tests. Soon enough, each student had a piece of paper and Iruka looked at the clock on the wall. "You have thirty minutes. Begin."

Naruto looked at his test and smirked. It was too easy. The questions were mostly history based and they covered that throughout the seven years they have been at the academy. Questions like where did Hashirama and Madara have their final battle and who were the Sannin, were something so trivial that he didn't even have to recheck his answers. He literally finished his test in ten minutes and waited for the end.

Thirty minutes ended soon and the students were all lining up in front of Iruka at the firing range, while Mizuki stayed inside to grade the tests. There were two crates behind Iruka, one full of kunai, the other full of shuriken. Iruka took out a notepad and began.

"When I call your name, you will pick out at least three kunai and shuriken and throw them at the target," giving them a second to assess the information, he continued. "First, Aburame Shino."

Shino, a boy in a high-collared coat with glasses walked up to the crate and picked up three kunai in his right hand. Standing at the designated site, he took a moment to concentrate and threw all three kunai at the training dummy. One hit the bulls-eye at the middle of the dummy's chest, second one hit the right shoulder and the third one hit the stomach. Iruka nodded and motioned at the shuriken crate and Shino repeated the process. Iruka nodded again and wrote something on the notepad.

"Next, Akimichi Choji," Iruka said and an overweight boy stepped forward.

And so it continued for a while. Some students did well, while some were terrible. Most of the clan kids did reasonably well, not that it surprised anyone. It was finally Sasuke's time and, with an arrogant smirk, he stepped forward and grabbed three kunai in his right and three shuriken in his left hand.

Without a word, he threw all six weapons and they all landed in the center. Iruka's eyes widened in surprise, while Sasuke's fan-girls cheered. Sasuke himself smirked at Naruto and made a shooing gesture with his hand. Naruto raised an eyebrow and looked at Tsubaki, who shrugged. Next few graduates went by swiftly and it was finally Naruto's turn.

"Alright, Naruto, after you're done, we are going to have sparring tests," Iruka said and Naruto nodded.

Naruto then walked to the crates and picked up five kunai and five shuriken. He sent a bored look to the dummy and ignored Sasuke's fan-girls that were booing him, before standing at the designated spot. He lazily swung both his arms and sent the projectiles flying. All five kunai struck the heart of the dummy, while all five shuriken struck the head.

The class was stunned at Naruto's show of skill, but Naruto easily ignored them. Iruka, finally regaining his composure, decided to move on with the test and led the students to the sparring area.

The spars were quick and in Naruto's opinion, annoying. Only rare few students knew something other than the standard academy Taijutsu style. From Naruto's point of view, it looked like the students were just practicing their katas. Civilians who got paired up with clan kids were easily defeated, since the clans often had their own Taijutsu style. He sighed as he remembered Sasuke's match. The young Uchiha had no problem with showing the civilian his place.

As they were walking back toward the classroom where they would begin the final portion of the exam, Naruto looked worriedly at his long time friend. He knew that Tsubaki had enormous chakra reserves, even for an Uzumaki. He also knew that someone with such high chakra capacity couldn't even dream of making a simple clone. He offered to help her, but her stubbornness prevented it. Naruto dearly hoped as he looked at her smile, that she had an ace up her sleeve that would help her pass.

"Now, we will begin the Ninjutsu portion of the exam. When I call your name, you will go to the classroom next door, where you will perform the techniques required," Iruka said and left the room.

Soon, the voice over the intercom was heard and, one by one, the students began to leave the classroom, all with expectant grins on her face. When Tsubaki was called, Naruto offered her a word of encouragement to which she gave him a reassuring smile. He still couldn't help but worry at the prospect of her not passing the exam.

It was sometime later when his name was called out and he stepped into the exam room. The room was empty, except a desk with several forehead protectors. Iruka and Mizuki sat behind the desk, with their notepads out and concentrated expressions.

"Well, Naruto," Iruka started. "Your written exam was one hundred percent correct, your kunai and shuriken targeting is amazingly accurate and your Taijutsu is also very good from what we saw. All that's left is to perform the three academy techniques and you will pass."

Naruto nodded, feeling quite pleased with himself. He remembered the time he spent just throwing kunai at the targets under the watchful eye of Itachi and all Taijutsu katas he practiced every day until he got them perfectly. He never used his Sharingan during training, except when he learned his Sharingan based Genjutsus, and he was very proud of that. Only time he used Sharingan to cheat was for all the history stuff he had to learn. After all, why spend hours of reading useless history, when you could just train for that time.

"Alright, begin," Mizuki said, receiving a nod from the boy.

"**Henge!" **Naruto muttered and transformed into Iruka. Said man nodded and motioned Naruto to continue. Naruto nodded and dispelled the technique, before substituting himself with a chair nearby. The two examiners nodded at the well performed technique and looked on for the next one. Naruto surprised them yet again when he created five clones without the usage of hand seals.

"Congratulations, Naruto. You pass," Iruka said with a smile and handed Naruto his forehead protector which had black strap.

Naruto accepted the forehead protector with a bow. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei, Mizuki-sensei."

They smiled at his thanks and nodded. Naruto then turned and left the room, intent on finding Tsubaki to see if she had passed. His hopes were slowly diminishing as he saw Minato and Kushina standing outside, but without Tsubaki near them. That could mean only one thing, she failed the exam. He sighed as he saw Kushina wave him over and slowly approached them.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," Kushina said as he got near them. "I see that you have passed," she added with a smile while looking at the forehead protector hanging around his neck.

"Hello, Kushina-san, Hokage-sama, yes I have passed the exam," Naruto replied. "I see that Tsubaki-chan isn't with you."

Minato nodded. "Yes, we haven't seen her leaving the building and we've been here for a while."

Naruto frowned as this only confirmed his suspicions. She had indeed failed the test and she was probably too ashamed to admit it to her parents. He sighed sadly before he turned around and looked at the academy. Worry crept upon him and he couldn't shake a sudden feeling that something bad was going to happen.

Minato and Kushina both saw the worry in Naruto's eyes and they also came to the conclusion that her daughter failed. They were worried, but they also had faith in her. Minato put his hand on Naruto's shoulder, making said boy turn to him.

"If you could, could you look for her? A friend is what she needs right now," he said quietly.

Naruto only nodded and dashed away, hoping to find his friend.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Kushina asked with worry.

Minato sighed. "She's a strong girl, she can handle herself."

Kushina nodded sadly and the pair walked toward their home.

Xxxx

Meanwhile, Tsubaki was sitting on the ground in an empty alley, crying her eyes out. After all training she went through, she still couldn't pass the graduation exam. Her written exam was slightly above average, since she never bothered to study and her Shurikenjutsu and Taijutsu were almost at the top. She never thought that three simple academy techniques would be her downfall.

She managed to perform Henge without much trouble and the Kawarimi was acceptable. Her Bunshin though, was terrible. What she managed to create was a one sickly-looking clone that dispelled only seconds after creation. She could still remember the sad look Iruka gave her when he told her she failed.

"Are you alright, Tsubaki-chan?" a concerned voice asked.

Tsubaki's head snapped up to look at the face of the speaker. Looking at her, with caring eyes, was her sensei, Mizuki. She was confused as to what he was doing here, but before she could voice her question, he sat next to her on the ground and sighed.

"I'm sorry you had to fail the exam Tsubaki-chan," he said quietly. Seeing her quivering lip, he continued quickly. "But there is a way for you to become a genin."

Her lip stop trembling and she looked at Mizuki with expectation and eagerness to do anything to pass. He almost smirked at how easy she was to manipulate. His plan would work after all.

"There is an old exam that was used at the academy before. It would test your infiltrating and sneaking skills. Are you interested? If you are, you will have to trust me," she nodded furiously. "Very well, you have to infiltrate the Hokage Tower and acquire the Scroll of Seals from the Hokage's office. Also, you have to learn one technique from the scroll. After that, either Iruka or me will find you and test you."

Tsubaki was too excited at having been given a second chance that she didn't even see the smirk that appeared on Mizuki's face. With a determined nod, she rushed out of the alley, already thinking of many ways to infiltrate the tower. She knew the tower like the back of her hand since her father was the Hokage and she constantly walked through the tower. She wouldn't screw this up, not in a million years.

All the while, Mizuki was smirking. _'So easy. Orochimaru-sama will get the scroll and I will finally get the power I deserve.'_

Xxxx

Naruto walked toward the Hokage Tower with a worried expression on his face. For the last few hours, he was looking throughout the village for Tsubaki, but it was like she completely disappeared. He stopped by her house moments ago, only for Kushina to tell him that she still hasn't arrived. He decided to see the Hokage and hope for the best. He was confused though, when he saw multiple ninja leave the tower in hurry and each of them went in a different direction. Seeing a familiar figure, he stopped the man.

"Iruka-sensei, what's going on?" Naruto asked.

Iruka paused before answering. "Tsubaki stole the Scroll of Seals from the Hokage's office."

Naruto's eyes widened slightly. "There must be a reason for that," he said seriously. "She would never do something like that without a good reason."

"Do you have any idea where she might be?" Iruka asked with concern.

Naruto took a moment to think. His mind flashed through all the possible places where she might be, before he remembered a certain clearing, deep in the forest. An abandoned shack was located on the edge of the clearing in which they would sometimes hang out after their training. Turning toward the forest, he immediately began to run with Iruka on his tail.

"There is a clearing where we used to spend time and train. She has to be there," he said, convincing himself more than Iruka. "Let's hurry."

Iruka only nodded mutely as he followed. It didn't take long for the two to reach forest and they quickly began to jump from branch to branch, which surprised Iruka greatly. Iruka didn't know about Naruto's training with Itachi, so he didn't know full extent of Naruto's skill. He shook his head, concentrating on finding Tsubaki, as that was what was important now.

Soon they reached the clearing and sighed in relief as they saw Tsubaki sitting on the ground, panting from exhaustion. The Scroll of Sealing lay rolled up next to her and a bright smile was on her face. She was so focused on what she learned just moments ago that she didn't even notice two figures jumping on a clearing, before approaching her.

"Tsubaki-chan, you baka!" Naruto said and flicked surprised Tsubaki on the forehead. "What were you thinking?"

"What was that for?" she huffed as she rubbed her forehead.

"Why did you steal the scroll, Tsubaki-chan?" Iruka asked carefully.

"Huh?" Tsubaki asked, tilting her head sideways in confusion. "Wasn't that part of the test?"

Naruto instantly became suspicious. "What test?"

"Mizuki-sensei told me earlier that this was a test of infiltration and sneaking and that I had to take this scroll out of the tower. I also had to learn one technique from this scroll," she replied.

Suddenly, sound of something flying toward them was heard and Naruto, on instinct, pushed Tsubaki out of the way. Several kunai struck the ground where they were standing just seconds before. Pulling out a kunai, Naruto settled in a battle stance, while his eyes searched the trees for the attacker.

"Those were some good instincts, Naruto-kun," Mizuki spoke mockingly.

"Years of training can do that for you," Naruto replied.

Mizuki grinned from his spot in the tree and flung a giant shuriken at the group. Again, Naruto's instincts kicked in and he pushed Tsubaki aside, while ducking under the shuriken. As he stood up, he could clearly hear Mizuki grunt in annoyance.

"Why don't you join me then, Naruto-kun? Orochimaru-sama would surely be happy to have such a strong ninja under his command," he said. "Why stay here protecting this trash when you can become someone famous with Orochimaru-sama's guidance."

Naruto snorted. "Like I'd ever join that traitor," he replied.

Mizuki smirked and jumped down from the trees, holding a kunai in his hand. Naruto's body tensed and he turned his head toward Iruka.

"Iruka-sensei, go get Anbu while I take care of him," he said seriously.

Iruka's mouth hung open after hearing what Naruto told him. Quickly composing himself, he shook his head furiously. "I can't do that! Mizuki is a trained chunin, while you're just a genin. You don't stand a chance against him!"

"Iruka-sensei, I've spent three years training under Uchiha Itachi," he said and turned his head back to Mizuki. "I'm quite capable of defeating him."

This was a surprise for Iruka. He knew that the boy was stronger than the rest of his class, but didn't know to what extent. After hearing that he was trained by Itachi, Iruka realized that some of Naruto's Taijutsu spars were clear examples of Anbu style. If Itachi trained him, he might stand a chance of beating the man. Iruka sighed heavily and nodded. "Fine, I'll go. You better stay alive."

Naruto nodded and Iruka jumped away, only to fly back after Mizuki punched him in the face.

"You're not going anywhere, Iruka. I can't have any witnesses," Mizuki said with a wicked grin and charged at Iruka.

Mizuki was quite surprised when he was suddenly thrown back with great power. Shaking his head, he looked up and saw Naruto lowering his leg. This little distraction allowed Iruka to leap away into the forest to get some help from Anbu. Gritting his teeth, Mizuki stood up and brought up his kunai.

"You brat, I will kill you for this! With Iruka you might have stood a chance against me, but now it's over for you!" he shouted and charged at Naruto.

Naruto blocked Mizuki's initial strike with a kunai of his own and followed it with a kick in the stomach. Mizuki managed to block the kick with his free arm, but the strength behind the kick still sent him stumbling back few steps. Naruto then charged forward and swung his kunai, only to be blocked by Mizuki's. They stayed in a deadlock for a few moments before they jumped away from each other.

"Those were some nice moves, Naruto-kun, but I think I will finish this now," Mizuki said and grabbd the second shuriken that was tied on his back. Rearing his arm back, he flung the shuriken with all his might toward Naruto.

Naruto smirked. "You didn't think that would work on me, did you?" he said and moved out of the shuriken's path.

Mizuki smirked back. "It wasn't meant for you," he said, making Naruto's eyes go wide.

Naruto quickly turned around and saw the shuriken heading toward Tsubaki, who was frozen in shock. Seeing that she wouldn't dodge, he channeled chakra into his legs and with all his strength rushed at her.

Tsubaki opened her eyes after a few moments, wondering why the shuriken didn't strike her. Looking up, she gasped in shock as she saw Naruto looking at her, with a small smile on his face. A trickle of blood trailed down his chin. Tears welled in her eyes as she saw the shuriken imbedded in his back.

"N-Naruto-kun, w-why?" she asked weakly.

Naruto only smiled. "Because you're precious to me," he replied before his eyes rolled back and he fell on the ground.

Tsubaki looked at Naruto's still body, then at Mizuki, when something in her snapped. An animalistic growl escaped from her throat and her eyes changed from their violet to a blood-red with black slits. Her whisker marks deepened and her hair flailed wildly. Her fangs lengthened and her nail sharpened, turning into an inch long claws. She dropped on all fours and prepared for attack.

Mizuki looked in shock as Tsubaki began transforming. With every second, he could heel her bloodlust rising and the killing gaze she sent him, sent shivers down his spine. He tried to escape, but somehow his feet stayed rooted to the ground, making him unable to escape. After what seemed like hours, but was only few seconds, Tsubaki finished her transformation and directed a large amount of killing intent at Mizuki. The man could only utter two quiet words before the slaughter began.

"Oh crap."

Xxxx

The scene that awaited the Anbu team was, in a word, bloody. Mizuki's remains were all over the clearing, the blood was soaking the dirt and the only people that weren't dismembered were lying unconscious. One covered in blood, the other with a giant shuriken sticking out of his back. The Anbu leader grimaced and with a hand sign ordered his men to collect the survivors and transport them to the hospital. Mizuki, or what's left of him, was stored in the scroll.

After the orders were given, the leader grabbed the Scroll of Seals and started to run toward the Hokage Tower. He needed to return the scroll, as well as give his report. On his way, he pondered about what he felt before he reached the clearing. The malicious aura and intense killing intent were coating the air. Just like that day, thirteen years ago.

He quickly scaled the wall of the tower and entered the Hokage's office through the window. His eyes fell on Minato, who was sitting behind his desk with a worried expression on his face. No sooner than the Anbu team leader entered did the Hokage order him to give the report.

"Hokage-sama, upon arrival of Umino Iruka, my team and I quickly made our way toward the designated place. The scene we saw when we arrived was not pretty," the Anbu said and paused.

Minato felt his temper rising, which was something that never happened. "Speak, damn it! What happened to my daughter?"

"Your daughter is fine, Hokage-sama," the Anbu said reassuringly, calming the Hokage immensely. "The boy that was with her, Naruto, was wounded, but isn't in any danger. He should recover in couple of days. Mizuki is," he pulled out a scroll and placed it on Minato's desk. "In here."

"He's dead?" Minato asked, somewhat surprised. "Who killed him?"

The Anbu leader stayed silent for a while, as if contemplating what to say. He would probably stay silent, if not for the Hokage's piercing gaze. Gulping, he answered. "Your daughter."

That was something that Minato wouldn't ever expect. To hear that Tsubaki would kill someone was something he would never believe. Composing himself, he looked at the Anbu member with a look of utmost seriousness. "Any evidence?"

The Anbu member chose his words carefully. "She was covered in Mizuki's blood and was closest to Mizuki's body parts," at this Minato raised an eyebrow. "Also, I sensed the usage of demonic chakra."

At this, Minato's eyes widened and he could completely understand the 'body parts' part. Fear gripped his heart as his brain worked overtime, thinking about everything that could've happened. He almost jumped through the window and flashed to the hospital, if not for the Anbu member's intervention.

"Hokage-sama, calm down," the Anbu began, only to be interrupted by the Hokage.

"How can I calm down? The seal might be breaking!" Minato shouted.

"Hokage-sama, calm down!" the Anbu member said again, with more force this time, which surprised Minato. "The seal isn't breaking, you should have more faith in your work. I think that your daughter lost control of her emotions after seeing Naruto get hurt and, because of that, leakage of demon's chakra happened. You said it yourself that intense anger or sadness would increase the flow of its chakra."

Minato took several quick breaths to calm himself and nodded. "You're right, I'm sorry. We'll find out the full story of what happened when they wake up. In the meantime, tell the jonin senseis that the meeting is postponed until Friday."

The Anbu nodded and bowed, before using the Shunshin to leave the office. Minato sat back into his chair and sighed tiredly. Running his hand through his hair, he thanked Kami that both Tsubaki and Naruto were alright. Standing up, he made his way toward the door, before leaving toward the hospital.

* * *

**And that's it for now!**

**Hope to see some more reviews, they really mean a lot. **

**See ya!**


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